Well, that shoots that idea down. But I don't give up that easily. Aren't the electrical coils at the bottom covered so that when you take out the pot itself, they are not exposed? If so what if the danger of just letting the screw fall down inside?

The body of the crockpot has a double wall, with some sort of insulation protecting the outer wall, and the pot sets inside of the inner wall. That's so that the outside wall doesn't get dangerously hot. The screw would fall down between the two walls, and the element may be exposed down there. Since there is no way to touch it, there is no reason to suppose that it is protected from the screw resting on it. I certainly wouldn't take the chance. I got shocked when I was a kid by sticking a table knife into a toaster while it was on. I learned then that the electricity flowing through the the element is not always insulated.

If the screw fell down to the coils, I suppose it could potentially short them out, but I have no idea how your crock pot is constructed. Worst case is that it could cause a fire. So for a cheap crock pot, is it worth risking burning down the house? As Dirty Harry Callahan would say, "Do you feel lucky, Munk?"

If the screw fell down to the coils, I suppose it could potentially short them out, but I have no idea how your crock pot is constructed. Worst case is that it could cause a fire. So for a cheap crock pot, is it worth risking burning down the house? As Dirty Harry Callahan would say, "Do you feel lucky, Munk?"

Yes I feel lucky teenspeed. 15 years was a long time for the Rival to bite the dust as it did. It's not like I don't have others to torment.

Your right though. My son took a look at it said the same thing. It's a potential hazard in many ways. If we had just left the screw where it was.
Once it goes in it's not coming back out.

Shorting out, fire hazard. Circuit breaker, cutting myself (I'm a squeamish sissy about the sight of blood) Their is no way you could get to the inside to get that screw out. It's sealed up tight. He took it out to the garbage can.

On the bright side it's one less thing I have to pack

Hey Ten? Want to going half on some lottery tickets?

__________________
If your with me that's great. If not. Get out of my way.

My former neighbor, who was the Yard Sale Queen, no longer lives next door as she divorced. I don't do Craigslist or Ebay.

You really are true to my heart.

Throwing things away here is only after all recycle/reuse potential is exhausted.
And even then the category of it's disposal is highly debated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RPCookin

I certainly wouldn't take the chance. I got shocked when I was a kid by sticking a table knife into a toaster while it was on. I learned then that the electricity flowing through the the element is not always insulated.

A child with a table knife poking it in a toaster????
Now that's a reason to be scared of all things electrical.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenspeed

If the screw fell down to the coils,
succeed
it could potentially short them out, but I have no idea how your crock pot is constructed. Worst case is that it could cause a fire. So for a cheap crock pot, is it worth risking burning down the house? As Dirty Harry Callahan would say, "Do you feel lucky, Munk?"

"it could potentially short them out, but I have no idea how your crock pot is constructed. Worst case is that it could cause a fire.

Yes I feel lucky teenspeed. 15 years was a long time for the Rival to bite the dust as it did. It's not like I don't have others to torment.

Your right though. My son took a look at it said the same thing. It's a potential hazard in many ways. If we had just left the screw where it was.
Once it goes in it's not coming back out.

Shorting out, fire hazard. Circuit breaker, cutting myself (I'm a squeamish sissy about the sight of blood) Their is no way you could get to the inside to get that screw out. It's sealed up tight. He took it out to the garbage can.

On the bright side it's one less thing I have to pack

Hey Ten? Want to going half on some lottery tickets?

Munky, You made the correct decision for you and that's all that matters.

A child with a table knife poking it in a toaster????
Now that's a reason to be scared of all things electrical.

"it could potentially short them out, but I have no idea how your crock pot is constructed. Worst case is that it could cause a fire.

"I have no idea" is key here.

Okay wise guy... I guess that you have disassembled a crockpot, or you somehow know instinctively that shoving a screw down into the works blindly is an okay thing to do? Give us a break for having some common sense, and apparently a bit more than you have.

My point about the toaster was that those elements DO have electricity flowing through them, and shorting them out with a screw between them and the housing COULD potentially be a problem. It wouldn't be the first small appliance that had some hitherto undiscovered safety concerns.

...DH calls me his McGuyver, I can usually fix anything.You do know that CBS is doing a reboot of McGuyver this September, don't you?

If nothing else, wire and duct tape can fix just about anything.Wait, you forgot about WD-40. The rule in our house was if it's supposed to be stuck together and it isn't, use the duct tape. If it's stuck together and shouldn't be, use the WD-40.

I've never taken apart a crock pot, so I don't really know what is between those two walls. But I'll guess that there is a wire carrying 110 volts to a switch, which has other wires connected to a heating element of unknown construction. A piece of metal rolling around has the potential of shorting some of these unknown current carrying components. Best case is that it trips a breaker, worst case is that it causes a fire. A co-worker had his house burn down that was due to a defective wall socket. No magic, just an understanding of the potential consequences of something going wrong. Personally, I wouldn't risk burning down my house for a $20 crock pot that is known to have a defect.

Okay wise guy... I guess that you have disassembled a crockpot, or you somehow know instinctively that shoving a screw down into the works blindly is an okay thing to do? Give us a break for having some common sense, and apparently a bit more than you have.

My point about the toaster was that those elements DO have electricity flowing through them, and shorting them out with a screw between them and the housing COULD potentially be a problem. It wouldn't be the first small appliance that had some hitherto undiscovered safety concerns.

Any more smart remarks?

RP, My reply wasn't intended as a "wise guy" statement. And I'm sorry you viewed it that way.

And yes I have taken a crock pot apart.

That's why I advised Munky it was a PITA.

My statement about a child and toaster was from my father always coming behind my sister and going "Boom" to scare her when she plugged something in. To this day she has an irrational fear of anything electric.

I have no doubt that you and others here have common sense.
H.E double hockey sticks you more then likely have much more then me.
So I won't perceive your "and apparently a bit more than you have." as a "wise guy" statement or "smart remark".

Quote:

Originally Posted by tenspeed

I've never taken apart a crock pot, so I don't really know what is between those two walls. But I'll guess that there is a wire carrying 110 volts to a switch, which has other wires connected to a heating element of unknown construction. A piece of metal rolling around has the potential of shorting some of these unknown current carrying components. Best case is that it trips a breaker, worst case is that it causes a fire. A co-worker had his house burn down that was due to a defective wall socket. No magic, just an understanding of the potential consequences of something going wrong. Personally, I wouldn't risk burning down my house for a $20 crock pot that is known to have a defect.

tenspeed, I can understand your concern. Anything that has a 120v wire attached is a potential hazard as long as it's plugged in.

It's a shame your co-worker suffered that loss. But it seems a defective wall socket combined with a defective breaker/fuse was the cause.

But I don't know due to lack of information of the event.

I only used "Magic" as a term because electricity gets blamed for so much.

Here's a quote from "The Powers That Be" about a house fire that makes me use the magic term.

"The cause of the fire has not been determined as the building has not yet been wired."

And since this thread has reached it's conclusion since Munky tossed the pot and drifted enough already I'll drift it further.

Folks. I know I'm a bull in a China shop here at times.

But I've been lurking much, much longer then I've been a member.

I joined yet I'm not a joiner.

The Discuss in Discuss Cooking is going away.

Humor has been lost.

Butt hurt is the norm.

Post count or time a member has been here is valued over content of the post or poster.